Status Icons:

Due to the remoteness of the breeding range, little research has been done on breeding Smith’s Longspurs and little is known about their breeding distribution and demography in Alaska. The Arctic Refuge is likely the only National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. with breeding populations of this spe...

Barrier Island nesting bird surveys

Distributed Biological Observatory

Project

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

The “Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO)” is envisioned as a change detection array along a latitudinal gradient extending from the northern Bering Sea to the Barrow Arc [map of sites and example of change in sea ice and Chl-a]. DBO sampling is focused on transects centered on locations of h...

Ecology of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Freshwater Fishes

Project

US Geological Survey (USGS)

Fish and aquatic ecosystems are iconic symbols of Alaska and are vital to the social, economic, and environmental welfare of the state. While relatively much is known about the distribution and abundance of adult fish of commercially important species, much less is known about juvenile life stage...

Distribution and Habitat Use of Fish in the Nearshore Ecosystem of the Bea...

Project

US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

Information is needed on nearshore habitats and fish abundance in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas to refine the legal definitions of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) as presented in the Arctic FMP, adopted by NOAA in 2009. Fish in the ecologically fragile nearshore environments are particularly vulner...

Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals in the Chukchi Sea a...

Project

US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

The BOEM has conducted aerial surveys of the fall migration of bowhead whales each year since 1987. Methods are comparable from year to year, based on similar monitoring dating to 1979. The study provides the only long-term database for evaluating potential cumulative effects of oil- and gas-expl...

Eastern North Slope Muskox Monitoring

Landscape change detection

Project

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Monitor changes in vegetation and landforms at 36 study areas in Arctic NWR using historic aerial photographs and current satellite imagery. Historic photographs are from 1947, and satellite imagery is from 2008. Additional imagery will be collected at intervals to be determined for continuing ...

Mass balance and other physical characteristics of McCall Glacier and other...

The GLobal Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA)

Project

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

We have established an observation site for the international GLobal Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environments (GLORIA) program. Location is on the ridge north of Atigun Gorge. Mountain-top permanent vegetation sites at four different elevations were sampled for plant species, cover,...

Forest and Shrub Cover Monitoring for Arctic and Subarctic Alaska

Project

US Geological Survey (USGS)

This project aims to develop techniques for mapping and monitoring forest cover in Interior Alaska and shrub cover in Arctic Alaska. The project will attempt to determine which sensor or combination of sensors is best suited for this task and proceed to produce baseline inventories of forest and ...

Coastal Erosion

Project

US Geological Survey (USGS)

This study presents modern erosion rate measurements for a 100 km segment of the Beaufort Sea coastline based upon vertical aerial photography captured in 1955, 1979, and 2002. High resolution imagery from 2007 and 2008 was analyzed recently to determine site specific erosion rates.

Characterization of the Circulation on the Continental Shelf Areas of the ...

Project

US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

This proposed study is a continuation and expansion of the existing surface circulation study within the northeast Chukchi Sea. Prior to 2009, surface current observations on the Chukchi shelf were extremely limited. Through a joint Industry/BOEM supported study, the University of Alaska Fairba...

Porcupine Caribou Herd photocensus

Permafrost temperature profiles

Project

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Permafrost borehole temperatures were measured in 1985, 1998, and 2004 on Barter Island near the village of Kaktovik and in 1985 and 1998 in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic NWR) north of the Brooks Range. These measurements indicate that the century-long warming documented for the ce...

Population Status and Ecology of North Pacific Shorebirds

Project

US Geological Survey (USGS)

Alaska is widely recognized as a global center for shorebirds. Ninety percent of the migratory species in the Western Hemisphere have breeding populations in Alaska. The North Pacific hosts one-third of the world's shorebird fauna. Coastal habitats are critical during some phase of their annual ...

Passive Acoustic Monitoring

Project

ConocoPhillips (CPAI)

The objective of this research project is to collect and analyze acoustic data using Marine Autonomous Recording units. The species of interest include bowhead whales, beluga whales, gray whales, walrus, and ice seals. There is an additional component to understand the usage of the CPAI prospec...

Permanent vegetation plots at long term ecological monitoring sites

Project

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Collect baseline data and document changes over time for plant species occurrence and cover, and soil characteristics, at 5 sites representing each of the major ecoregions within the Refuge. Two to 6 permanent vegetation plots at each site are monitored every 5 years. Results after the first 10 y...

Population trends and demography of Dall sheep on the Arctic NWR

Project

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

We estimate reproductive success, age and sex structure (including percent harvestable rams), and trends in population size for Dall sheep in selected areas within the Refuge, including Atigun Gorge, the Hulahula River drainage, and the Arctic Village Sheep Management Area.

Porcupine River post-fire vegetation succession plots

Pacific Black Brant Ecology

Project

US Geological Survey (USGS)

Pacific black brant are a species of international concern because of chronically reduced population size and low annual production. They are recognized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Focal Species and pose conservation and management challenges because of their wide geographic range of...

Soil temperature monitoring

Project

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Temperature data loggers record soil temperatures at over 30 locations in the refuge, to document differences in soil temperature over time and between different landscapes and vegetation types. Quantitative vegetation information is available at most sites.

Sea Duck Joint Venture

Project

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Sea Ducks are the least studied group of North America waterfowl. Problems with sea duck populations are widespread within the northern hemisphere and have become internationally recognized. Initial steps toward addressing these problems have been taken with the formation of a Sea Duck Joint Vent...